On This Day - What Happened On March 9 | Britannica

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1862 Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimack) battled in the harbour at Hampton Roads, Virginia, marking the beginning of a new era of naval warfare. © Photos.com/Getty Images

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Carrie Chapman Catt American feminist leader bornJanuary 9, 1859Ripon, WisconsindiedMarch 9, 1947 (aged 88)New Rochelle, New YorkCourtesy of the League of Women Voters of Illinois 1964 Juliette Binoche French actress 1956 Shashi Tharoor Indian politician and author 1943 Bobby Fischer American-Icelandic chess player 1934 Yuri Gagarin Soviet cosmonaut 1930 Ornette Coleman American musician See All Biographies On This Day

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2025 For the first time in history, a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) was filmed swimming in its natural habitat. Watch the first-ever confirmed video of a living colossal squid© New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries—Handout/Getty Images 2006 British politician John Profumo—who, while serving as secretary of state for war, caused a major scandal in 1963 when it was revealed that he had an affair with Christine Keeler, a dancer who was also involved with the Soviet military attaché in London—died at age 91. Test your knowledge of British culture and politicsJimmy Sime—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1996 George Burns—whose career in show business spanned 93 years, the highlights of which included a popular comedy act with his wife, Gracie Allen—died at age 100. Discover how much you know about actors and actingCBS Television 1964 Juliette Binoche, who was noted for the intelligence she brought to her complex and varied roles, was born in Paris. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about A-list actors© 2000 Miramax Films/David Brown Productions/Fat Free Limited 1959 Barbie, a toy doll that became an international sensation despite criticism, was introduced by Mattel, Inc. Discover six interesting facts about BarbieCourtesy of Attic Dolls and Toys, Oklahoma City, Okla.; photograph, © Joel DeGrand 1945 The U.S. Army Air Forces firebombed Tokyo, destroying a quarter of the city, killing at least 80,000 civilians, and leaving a million people homeless. Sort fact from fiction in our World War II quizNARA 1943 Chess master Bobby Fischer was born in Chicago. Test your knowledge of chessAP 1934 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who in 1961 became the first man to travel in space, was born. Take our astronauts and cosmonauts quizNASA 1930 Jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Ornette Coleman was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Test your knowledge of musiciansMichael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 1916 Pancho Villa's men killed more than a dozen in a raid on Columbus, New Mexico. Take our quiz about plots and revolutionsBain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-09255) 1831 The French Foreign Legion, whose unofficial motto is “Legio patria nostra” (“The legion is our fatherland”), was founded by King Louis-Philippe as an aid in controlling French colonial possessions in Africa. How much do you know about French history?H. Roger-Viollet 1796 Napoleon Bonaparte, future emperor of France, married Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, better known today as Empress Joséphine. (He had the marriage annulled in 1810 so that he could marry the Austrian archduchess Marie-Louise.) Explore the Bonaparte family tree© Art Images/Getty Images 1765 Following a vigorous press campaign by French philosopher Voltaire, a court acquitted the Huguenot merchant Jean Calas, who had been executed for allegedly murdering his son; the case greatly strengthened the movement for criminal law reform and religious toleration in France. Take another quiz about French historyScala/Art Resource, New York 1734 Francisco Bayeu, who was considered by his contemporaries to be the finest Spanish painter of their period and was greatly influenced by Anton Raphael Mengs and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, was born. Take our famous artist quizScala/Art Resource, New York 1661 Jules Cardinal Mazarin, a disciple of Richelieu and an architect of France's ascent to European supremacy, died in Vincennes, France. Courtesy of the Musée Condé, Chantilly, Fr.; photograph, Giraudon/Art Resource, New York 432 bce The Parthenon was consecrated in Athens. Test your knowledge of ancient Greece© Corbis SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.